Testing device



April 1, 1947. R. R. FLEHARTY TESTING DEVICE Filed Oct 5, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l fi z iy I 6% Fake A ril 1', 1947.

R. R. FLEHARTY 'rss'rme DEVICE- Filed o i. s, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 R74 R Hal 4% M Dali Patented Apr. 1, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TESTING DEVICE Russell R. Fleharty, Muskegon Heights, Mich.

Application October 5, 1944, Serial No. 557,256

1 Claim. 1

My present invention relates to improvements in devices employed in testing under different temperatures and conditions; and the objects of improvement are: first, to provide a tank in which shaped materials and members can be tested at widely differing temperatures as for elongation, for tensile strength, for increase and decrease in volume, for hardness, for structural break down, for electrical resistance, for elasticity and fluids I attain these named objects and such other objects as appear from a perusal of the description and device illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the device;

Figure 2 a, sectional view of the device taken on a vertical plane extending transversely on line I of Figure l and when viewed in the direction the arrow crossing the line indicates;

Figure 3 a sectional view of the device taken on a horizontal plane on line 11 of Figure 2 and viewed downward from said line;

Figure 4 a part sectional view of one of the attuning tubes which-are hereinafter at places referred to as test tubes;

Figure 5 an enlarged sectional detailed view of a portion of my present invention.

Throughout the views of the drawing, similar numerals refer to similar parts and portions of the invention, and referring thereto:

Numeral I designates the outer shell or casing of a tank having inner shell 2 in spaced apart relation to the outer shell at its periphery and throughout their bottoms 3 and 4 respectively; the inner shell having concave portion 5 forming at the juncture of the cylindrical portion and bottom of the inner shell 2.

Extending throughout the space between the shells l and 2 is temperature insulation 6 sealed into the said space by channel ring I brazed .or soldered to the top edge of each shell and finished to a smooth surface 8.

Extending across the shell 2 adjacent its top is cover plate 9 having upwardly and outwardly extending flange I engaging the top of said shell 2 and having extending therethrough holes ll through which to extend the test tubes l2, the said holes being flanged into vertically extending tubular grommets l3 surrounding the flanges at holes l3 of the cover plate [4 which is provided with annular flange I engaging the cover plate 9.

Secured to the top of the cover plate I4 is vertical shaft electric motor [6 having speed reducing gearing of usual kind within the housing 11 which also forms a base for the motor the shaft of which extends downward through the cover plates 9 and M to adjacent the bottom 4 of the shell 2 where, is adjustably fastened thereon, vertical axis fluid agitator I8 in the form of a screw propeller of low pitch whereby is circulated the fluid l9 within the shell 2 that the fluid may have a uniform temperature throughout when heated.

Extending downward through the cover plates 9 and M is thermocoil 20 of the temperature regulator it to which electric current is conducted by leads 22 from the rheostat 23 having leads 24 extending from snap switch 25 and from which electric current is also conducted to the motor It as well as to regulator 2| having leads 26 extending therefrom to the terminals 21 of the fluid heater unit 28. v The heater unit comprises ei her a coil or a back and forth formation 29 as shown in Figure 3;

In Figure 4 is shown the hanging test tube [2 of my preferred form which may be either of metal such as copper, or glass, and has outwardly flaring flange 30 at its top and outwardly extending supporting ring 3| in spaced apart relation to the outwardly flaring flange 30, with neck 32 between the said flange 30 and supporting ring 3|, the purpose of said neck being to provide a portion for grasping the tube with tongs lightly with just sufficient force to lift the tube without crushing it when the tube is composed of glass, with the outwardly flaring flange preventing the tube from slipping from the tongs.

Numeral 33 refers to legs for supporting the cover plates and mechanism associated therewith when the cover plates are removed from the tank.

It is to be understood that the present invention is adaptable for the testing of various materials some of which are rubber, leather, plastics, and various metals; and when in use for testing such materials an oil having a flash point above 400 degrees Fahrenheit is employed; the oil being placed in the shell 2 in sufiicient quantity to substantially fill the shell.

The oil having been placed in the shell 2, the cover plate consisting of plate members 9 and II with a heat insulation therebetween is placed on the shell 2 with its flange I0 extending over its top and the channel ring member 8. Snap switch 25 mounted on the cover plate l4 and being connected to a source of electric supply and switched on, electric current then flows through leads 24 to the rheostat 23, which'has therein resistant coils for controlling the amount of current flowing from the rheostat to the temperature regula tor 2| and therefrom to th terminals of the heater 28 and through the coils 29 thereof and thereby heats the oil in the shell 2 to the desired temperature which is automatically controlled to the temperature at which the temperature is set through the thermocoil 29 extending into the oil and forming a part of the heat regulator; the said oil being heated to a temperature suitable for testing the material under test.

When the oil has been heated to the required temperature, oil is placed in the test tubes which are then extended through the holes ll in the cover plates and allowed to heat to the temperature of the oil within the shell 2, after which the material to be tested is placed in the test tube and permitted to remain in the testing tubes throughout the duration of the test, which in some cases requires as long a period of time as 72 hours, while in other cases such as testing materials for expansion, the test period will extend only a short time. When the test period has expired, the tubes are removed from the shell individually, the material being tested removed from the tube or tubes and examined for breakdown. disintegration or structural change.

When testing materials for elongation, the test tube is graduated near its upper end and the material in the test tube, which is usually in small bar form, is calibrated and observed prior to heating and also subsequent thereto while the test tubes are still extended into the heating oil within the shell 2, and by comparison with the graduation on the test tube the extent of expansion can be observed.

In testing for tensile strength, the test tube subsequent to heating of the material therein, is transferred quickly to tensile strength testing apparatus and quickly tested thereby.

The oil employed in both the shell and in the test tube is of a high flash point having no residue deposited under the temperature such as employed for testing. It is understood any oil having a flash point sufficiently high and with no residue deposit at the test temperature can be employed. One oil in particular that may be employed for testing having a sufiiciently high flash point is similar to that employed for lubrication of the cylinders and valves of engines operating under high super-heat and which temperature may reach 750 degrees Fahrenheit.

The invention is equally suitable for testing such material as hereinbefore referred to as low temperatures, by the same procedure as for testing at high temperatures, the diiTerence being fluid having the desired low temperature is substituted for the oil and is circulated through the shell 2 and around the test tubes having therein the material being tested.

Having described and illustrated my present invention the rights to which I desire to secure by Letters Patent are:

The combination in a testing device, of a tank comprising inner and outer metallic shells joined together in spaced apart relation to each other throughout their opposed peripheries with the space between the shells filled with heat insulating material, a plurality of cover plates closing the said shells and in spaced apart relation to each other, each cover plate having a plurality of holes through each of which to enter a test tube, an electric motor mounted above the said cover plates and having a vertical shaft extending thrcu, the same into .the said inner shell, with a vertical axis propeller fluid agitator slidably fastened to the vertical shaft for agitating fluid within the tank, an electric heat control mounted above the said cover plates and having a ho izontally disposed heating element connected rate and located within and adjacent the bottom of the tank, a thermoregulator extending through the said cover plates and into the tank having electric connection with the electric heat control, and a switch having electric connection with the electric motor and heat control.

RUSSELL R. FLEHARTY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,383,188 Hadaway June 28, 1921 2,091,838 Steak Aug. 31, 1937 2,228 906 Bowen Jan. 14, 1941 1,617,213 La Paugh Feb. 8, 1927 1,863,522 Fairbairn June 14, 1932 1,975,416 De Souza c Oct. 2, 1934 2,164,282 Morris June 27, 1939 OTHER REFERENCES Ace Glass, Inc., catalog 40, October 1940, page 157. 

